Continental Copters INC. TOMCAT MK5A accident near Osage, Minnesota, July 25, 2014
On July 25, 2014 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1976 Continental Copters INC. TOMCAT MK5A (helicopter), registered N161SH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Osage, Minnesota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel, which resulted in the pilot's forced landing and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to operate the helicopter without resolving the fuel contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2014 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Osage, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Continental Copters INC. TOMCAT MK5A, built 1976
- Registration
- N161SH · registry record · serial 1921
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting a spray operation at 15 feet above the ground, the helicopter's engine sputtered so the pilot pulled up on the collective. The engine momentarily stopped sputtering but then began to run rough and continued to sputter. The pilot made a forced landing and the helicopter impacted the ground and rolled on its side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and rotor blades. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed water contamination in the gascolator and the fuel tank. Also, water contamination was found in the company's bulk fuel supply tank. The pilot noted that he checked the helicopter's fuel tank three times and the samples contained water every time. The pilot discarded the samples and continued to operate with the contaminated fuel.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel contamination during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not serviced/maintained
- Organizational issues › Management › Resources › Adequacy of equipment › Operator
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 15,300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 12, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,132 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Osage MN
- Destination: Osage MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KPKD, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 20, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Gascolator Fuel Sample (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 - Fuel Tank Sample (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 3 - Gascolator Cover (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 4 - Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.